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Women's Cross Country

Nadya Bishton (center) was the 2007 Gatorade Cross Country Runner of the Year for the state of Arizona. After starting her college career at the University of Wisconsin, she is heading to San Jose State this fall.

Nadya Bishton, the 2007 Gatorade Cross Country Runner of the Year for Arizona, plans to enroll at San Jose State University for the 2009 Fall semester and compete for the Spartans’ women’s cross country team. Augie Argabright, San Jose State’s head coach, made the announcement.

A resident of Glendale, Ariz., Bishton excelled in cross country and starred in track and field as a distance runner for Mountain Ridge High. As a high school senior, she was the Arizona Class 5A champion and was undefeated in 2007. One of her victories in her senior season was at the Stanford University Invitational with a time of 17:29 on the 5k course.

Besides earning the Gatorade national award, she was a cross country All-American and the Arizona Republic’s Female Runner of the Year.

“Nadya is one of the best runners in the country and we are happy to have her join our program. Having her at practice everyday will make our other runners push themselves to a new level,” says Argabright. “I’m looking forward to the 2009 season.”

In track and field, she was ranked in the top-five statewide her junior and senior seasons in the 1,600 and 3,200 meters. The versatile runner capped her high school career at the 2008 Arizona High School Class 5A Championships finishing sixth in the 800 meters (2:19.17), fourth in the 1,600 meters (4:57.71) and second in the 3,200 meters (10:31.97).

Bishton spent the 2008 cross country season as a freshman at the University of Wisconsin. She raced once finishing 10th at the Northern Illinois University Invite.

The native of Tver, Russia has a twin sister, Nastia, who was a member of the Arizona State University women’s cross country team in 2008.